Nick Offerman says that while he once used marijuana for escapism, he no longer wants to because his life is currently “happy enough.”
In an interview published by The Independent on Saturday, the Colin in Black and White and Parks and Recreation actor explained why after years of using marijuana and advocating for its regulated legalization, he stopped smoking it. Part of it was due to his wife, Megan Mullally, but the other part is because “my life is happy enough that I don’t actually want it,” he explained.
That doesn’t mean he’s stopped championing its legalization, and the actor admitted he still has a stash in his house in the case he ever changes his mind. But he does jokingly lament that his decision to stop came at a time when it’s been more widely embraced.
“When I depended on marijuana for escapism, I couldn’t get the good stuff and now that I can afford the most incredible pot, I don’t want it.”
Offerman later opened up about fans and even politicians who misinterpret the masculinity and ideologies of his Parks and Recreation character Ron Swanson. Considered “a man’s man,” the actor has previously disputed fan suggestions that his character would have voted for Trump. He also thinks its a “bummer” when he sees certain politicians he “despises” using memes of his character.
Most recently, Republican Senator Mitt Romney trended on Twitter after dressing as the kind and largely adored Jason Sudeikis character Ted Lasso in a Halloween photo op with Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Offerman acknowledged he had also seen the viral tweet, and called Romney “a pretty strange Republican from the Morman Church in Utah,” before speaking more broadly to certain politicians embracing endearing TV comedy characters.
While he said “everyone has to be allowed to like what they like,” he did note that when people like Romney dress up like Ted Lasso or even Ron Swanson, “all those characters and all the people that created that content would hate you.”